


Only In Dreams

by nuttinonice



Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Anal Sex, Arguing, Bottom Laurent (Captive Prince), Canon Universe, Captive Prince - Freeform, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Sex, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Making Up, Nightmares, Outdoor Sex, POV Damen (Captive Prince), Post-Canon, Smut, Top Damen (Captive Prince), capri, lamen, mentions of laurents abuse but nothing too graphic, the tags sound heavy a little but its pretty fluffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:02:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25417390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nuttinonice/pseuds/nuttinonice
Summary: At first, Damen didn't tell Laurent about it. One night, he'd stirred awake from Laurent's tossing and turning beside him, his eyes scrunched together in the throws of a nightmare.But tonight... Tonight, Laurent talks in his sleep.
Relationships: Damen/Laurent (Captive Prince)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 304





	Only In Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> Here's some more Lamen I procrastinated posting!!
> 
> Please be sure to follow me on Twitter @nuttinonice where you can RT my fics and find other ways to support me. Comments are super appreciated and thank you for keeping CaPri alive!

Damen relishes in sharing a bed with Laurent. Sharing a bed in which they can hold each other as close as they like, kiss, make love, not sit in tense silence on the path to war. It’s so unlike those nights they shared sleeping a few feet apart from one another in a tent. It’s a luxury to be in admission of their love, now jointly ruling an entire kingdom and engaged to be wed in mere months. 

After the events at Ios, Damen saw how Laurent slowly loosened up bit by bit, becoming more comfortable with sex, more comfortable with nudity. He was less tense, though no less commanding and controlled in public, but where he would use to tense at Damen’s touch, he now leaned into. When Damen pleasured him, Laurent came without his body fighting the feeling. He still preferred slow lovemaking, but they’d had a few quicker rougher fucks by now that Laurent seemed to enjoy as much as Damen did. 

It led him to believe that much of what plagued Laurent had passed. His uncle was dead. He had killed Damen’s brother, leveling the debt between them. He had ascended to the throne, become ruler of an entire kingdom alongside Damen. He was happier, calmer, but then he started waking Damen in the night. 

At first, Damen didn’t tell Laurent about it. One night he’d stirred awake from Laurent tossing and turning beside him, his eyes scrunched together in the throws of a nightmare. Damen had just slid in close beside him and stroked his hair, held Laurent against the soothing warmth of his body until he settled down in his sleep and dreamt peacefully again. 

He actually thought it was sweet. He’d never seen Laurent have nightmares before and it made him feel good that he was able to soothe him like he did. Laurent seemed fine the next day, so he thought nothing of it. 

When it happened a few more times, Damen reacted all the same, comforting Laurent without waking him. He knew that despite how far Laurent had come, he still had his pride. He’s easily embarrassed about the way he acts when he’s drunk and when he’s asleep, still afraid that he might say something he didn’t mean for anyone to hear. 

It was when the dreams got worse that Damen started to worry. When Laurent started sweating, trembling a little even, and it took Damen a lot longer to calm him down. Damen still bit his tongue, not wanting to invade what little privacy Laurent still had, having shared so much of himself with Damen already. 

Tonight, he can’t just stroke Laurent’s hair to settle him down. 

“ _ Laurent _ .” Damen says in a harsh whisper, sitting up beside his sleeping fiancee in bed and watching him with concern. He can see Laurent shaking, his face contorted in pain, covered in a thin layer of sweat. He can’t just try and soothe this one away with a few whispers and an arm around his waist. “Laurent.” He says again, his voice soft as he shakes his shoulder.

In his sleep, Laurent jerks in response.

Damen’s chest sinks. He’s seen Laurent with broken bones. He’s seen Laurent covered in his own blood, in the blood of his enemies, but the only time he can think of where he saw Laurent looked as pained as this was when his uncle had taunted him at the Kingsmeet. 

“ _ Laurent _ .” Damen says, more sternly this time as he shakes him by the shoulder. “Laurent, wake up, you’re-”

Laurent wakes with a jerk away from Damen, gasping as he pushes himself up on his elbows and looks frantically around the room. Damen’s never seen him so utterly panicked before even if the look in Laurent’s eyes is gone after a moment, having realized where he is and that whatever he had been experiencing was just a dream. 

“Are you okay?” Damen asks, resisting the urge to touch him, so Laurent can catch his breath. Even in the dark, he can see Laurent’s face has gone pale. 

Laurent swallows hard and nods, taking a deep breath to compose himself before falling back on the pillows and scrubbing a hand over his face. “Did I wake you?”

“Yeah, you were shaking like a leaf.” Damen frowned in concern. 

“Just a bad dream.” Laurent sighs, rolling onto his side to face away from Damen. 

“You’ve been having them a lot lately.”

“What?”

“I heard you tossing and turning a few times.” Damen admits. “But it wasn’t anything like tonight, what are you dreaming about that scares you so bad?” He sees the muscles in Laurent’s back tense and bites his lip. He wants Laurent to talk to him, but… he doesn’t want to push him either. 

“Did I say anything?” Laurent asks, his voice quieter than before. 

“No.” Damen assures as he slides closer to him on the bed, unable to resist any longer as he presses himself up against Laurent and puts an arm over his hips to hold him close. He can feel Laurent’s linen undershirt is damp against his bare torso. “You just moved around a little and your eyes got all scrunched up. You settled down if I just touched your hair for a little while or held you like this.”

Laurent takes in another deep breath and softens a little bit in Damen’s embrace. “Thank you.”

“I never saw you have nightmares like these in all those nights we spent together before.” Damen says as he slides his hand up under Laurent’s shirt, rubbing his stomach, hard with muscle, in sweet soothing circles. “Do you usually get them?”

“No, um… They’re actually new.”

“Do you want to talk about them?” 

Laurent shakes his head. “I just want to go back to sleep.”

“Okay.” Damen presses a warm kiss to the nape of Laurent’s neck and shuts his eyes again, intent on staying awake just a little while longer to make sure Laurent gets back to sleep peacefully. 

When Laurent’s breath evens out and Damen is positive he’s asleep again, he allows himself to rest too. Whatever dreams are haunting Laurent, he just hopes they subside. 

The rest of the night passes without incident. Damen falls into a deep sleep and wakes up first in the morning to find Laurent still in his arms, dark eyelashes stark against his pale cheeks as he sleeps without any sign of the night’s earlier terror. 

He’s careful as he pulls away, moving slowly, so as not to wake him when he slides out of bed and dons a chiton to cover himself. Dressed, but barefoot, he creeps out of the bedroom, shutting the door behind him and putting a finger to his lips as he walks up to the guards of the Kings’ Chambers. 

“Let him sleep in this morning.” Damen murmurs. “Send away any servants or squires, don’t let anyone in but me. If he’s angry when he wakes up, just tell him it was my orders he not be disturbed.”

“Yes, Exalted,” nods one of the guards, followed by the other. 

“Good.” Damen nods before brushing past them to make his way to the banquet hall for breakfast. They’re entertaining some high profile merchants who are highly interested in the many fabric-related needs of the new palace. Both him and Laurent are expected to appear, but it’ll hardly be the end of the world if they’re just greeted by him. 

* * * * * 

“ _ Noon _ , Damianos?” Damen is greeted by a frazzled, half dressed Laurent upon reentering the chambers. “You can’t just let me sleep all day, there’s a million things to be done and-”

“I know, I know, I just wanted to let you rest after last night.” Damen says, walking up and taking Laurent’s wrist, so he can lace his sleeves for him. “Don’t worry, I said you were all tied up in diplomatic talks with Lord Touars. 

“Lord Touars isn’t even here.” Laurent rolls his eyes as he hands Damen his other sleeve for lacing. 

“The merchants don’t know who’s here and who isn’t.” Damen ties the sleeve and looks up at Laurent’s eyes. He doesn’t look tired at least, seemingly unaffected by last night, but Laurent can make himself look unaffected by anything. “You can greet them later, Charls isn’t even here yet.”

Laurent just lets out a small huff and nudges past him. “I’m late to train with Jord.”

“Don’t be mean to the guards.” Damen calls after him, met with a dismissive wave of his lover’s hand.

“Too late.”

* * * * *

Damen goes about his duties while trying to keep a watchful eye out for Laurent. He passes by the training grounds purposefully and catches a glimpse of Laurent performing the kind of swordwork that’s almost arousing before being knocked back by Jord. So he is off today… 

It’s not like himself to worry so much over Laurent. Laurent doesn’t need someone to look out for him or dote on him, but something about seeing him in pain last night had just placed a weight on Damen’s chest. He gets nervous when he thinks about it. 

They’ve just overcome so much together. After what the Regent had said, Damen had been sick to his stomach. He still gets nauseous when he remembers the years of abuse Laurent had been put through in secret. He wants so badly for everything to be behind them, but if his hunch is anything close to what Laurent’s really dreaming about, it may have been naive of him to think a trauma like that would just go away -- even with the Regent dead. 

That night, Laurent does talk in his sleep. 

Damen wakes past midnight to the same tossing and turning he’d felt last night, although he seems to have woken up earlier this time. Laurent isn’t sweating as much, but he’s shaking again. When Damen reaches over to wake him up, Laurent’s voice croaks out one pained word. 

“ _ Uncle _ .”

_ No _ . Damen will be  _ damned _ if he lets that man continue to haunt Laurent in his dreams. He takes Laurent’s arm and shakes him awake, quickly taking his hand as soon as Laurent comes too. 

“Hey, hey it’s me.” Damen whispers as Laurent stares up at him, wide eyed as he gets used to his surroundings. “Just a dream again, I’m right here.”

Laurent opens his mouth as if to speak, but stops, his face paling further as he rips his hand out of Damen’s grip and stumbles to a large (expensive) decorative vase just in time to vomit. 

Damen’s only seen Laurent puke  _ once _ and it was after a drinking contest with Makedon. This is… this is beyond him, how the hell is he supposed to make this go away for Laurent? How can he comfort him if these dreams just keep coming?

He hurries to fill a glass with water from their bedside pitcher as he hears Laurent heave up the last of it, carrying it over to him and rubbing Laurent’s back as soon as he arrives. 

Laurent lifts his head and wipes his mouth, his eyes looking the tiniest bit watery as he takes the water and drinks it down, draining it in a few seconds before setting the cup on the nearby mantle. 

Damen opens his mouth to say something, anything that might comfort his fiancee in this moment, but Laurent moves first, wrapping his arms around Damen’s waist and pressing in close, hugging him tight. 

“Laurent…” Damen breathes, wrapping his arms around him as well. “Love, what’s going on? You have to let me help you.”

“It can’t be helped.” Laurent says, his voice steady, but Damen knows how much he’s holding back. “They’re… They’re just  _ dreams _ , I’m being ridiculous.”

“You’re not being ridiculous.” Damen whispers, rubbing his back and pressing kisses into his golden hair. “Laurent, you talked this time. I think I know what your nightmares are about and it has to be terrifying for you.”

Laurent freezes in his arms, all tension returning as he lifts his head and looks at Damen. Damen expects Laurent’s cool and controlled gaze, the face he’s put on before in the face of inhuman cruelty and pain time and time again. Instead, Laurent’s eyes are big, sparkling even with the moonlight streaming in from their window and the small tears that the act of puking had forced up. His mouth quivers before Damen sees him bite the inside of his cheek to control it. “What did I say?”

“You said ‘uncle.’ You just said it once and I woke you up.”

Laurent swallows hard and nods his head. “Damen?”

“Yes?”

“I… I-I don’t know why these are happening, but you can’t tell a soul, is that clear? Not Nikandros, not anyone.”

“Of course.”

“And will you…” Laurent lowers his eyes, taking his arms away from Damen and crossing them over his chest. “Will you promise to wake me up immediately when you hear me having a nightmare?”

“I promise.” Damen says sincerely, leaning down to press a kiss to Laurent’s lips. “I’m right beside you all night long.”

“And if I wake up before you, can I…” Laurent’s face is flushed, his cheeks pink on his pale skin. “Can I wake you up?”

“Always.” Damen nods. “No matter what, okay? I don’t care if I’m in a coma, you wake me up if this happens and I’m not already up with you.”

“Okay.” Laurent breathes, still staring at the floor. “I… I’m sorry for all the trouble this is-”

“Don’t be. Come back to bed.” Damen takes Laurent by the wrist to lead him back towards the bed, gathering him up in his arms again and pressing his lips into Laurent’s golden hair. “Do you feel safe?”

Laurent lets out a quiet laugh. “I have King Damianos as my personal guard.”

“You wouldn’t even need a guard.” Damen smiles, sliding his hand up Laurent’s shirt to rub his back. 

Laurent looks up at him, hesitates for a moment, then inches his face closer. “Would you kiss me for a while? I need to stop thinking.”

“You never have to ask.” Damen assures him as he closes the small space in between them to kiss Laurent. He starts with a chaste press of his lips, not wanting to overwhelm him or be presumptuous, but it’s not long before Laurent’s tongue is licking over his bottom lip, asking to be invited in. 

Damen slides a hand up to rest on the back of Laurent’s neck as he allows him in, kissing him sweetly and letting him explore his mouth however he pleases. There will always be something so special about kissing Laurent. No matter how many times they do it, his heart gives a little thump like it had on the balcony when their lips had met for the first time. 

Laurent takes Damen’s free hand and guides it down, pressing it firmly over his cock through the thin linen of his pants as they continue to kiss.

“Is that what you want?” Damen breathes against him, his hand already rubbing him intuitively through the fabric. 

“Yes.” Laurent blushes in the dark, hiding his face by leaning in to kiss up Damen’s neck. “Please, I… I need it. I need to remind myself how good it feels with you.”

Damen’s heart sinks with understanding, but he reaches into the fabric of Laurent’s pants anyways, intent to do whatever will make his lover feel better in this moment. He gives him another kiss, slow and tender as he wraps his fist around Laurent’s cock and touches him with slow loving strokes.

Laurent sighs against Damen’s lips in response and shuts his eyes, allowing himself to be kissed and touched at Damen’s will — and Damen knows exactly how Laurent wants it right now.

He whispers sweet praises into Laurent’s ear as he rubs his hand up and down the shaft of his erection, pausing only to play with the tip and hear him whine. He tells Laurent how beautiful he is, how pretty he looks when he comes, how much Damen wants him,  _ loves _ him. 

Laurent responds with quiet shallow breathing and flushed cheeks, his hips gently shifting up and down in shallow thrusts against Damen’s hand. He’s become much more vocal in bed lately, but that’s when they fuck. When Damen touches him like this, sweet and intimate, Laurent’s words always seem to fall away.

When he comes, he holds onto Damen and shivers through it with a soft whimper into his ear, clinging to him as Damen strokes him through until the climax passes completely.

Wordlessly, Damen helps Laurent out of his shirt, kisses him, then takes Laurent’s pants as well. Usually Laurent would scold him for doing so, but in the name of getting back to sleep, he uses the linen to clean Laurent off and tosses them aside.

“Barbarian.” Laurent says with a sleepy smile. “Thank you.”

“You never have to thank me for that.” Damen yawns as he stretches his arms out and pulls Laurent into his embrace once more. “Wake me up if you need to.”

Laurent tucks his head into the crook of Damen’s neck and shuts his eyes, his muscles finally relaxed completely against Damen’s own. “I will.”

******

After that night, the nightmares become a semi regular occurrence. They develop a routine with them, get used to Laurent occasionally waking in the night with tremors, or Damen nudging him awake when he stirs. They come about three to four times a month. The first time Laurent goes out on a diplomatic venture that involves several nights away from Damen, there’s some separation anxiety, but Laurent returns to tell him he’d been able to handle himself when he had one on the road.

Damen isn’t surprised, Laurent can compose himself even when he’s in terrible emotional or physical pain, but he still feels much better whenever they sleep together. He doesn’t like the idea of Laurent waking up alone after one of those… They’re usually not as bad as the night where Laurent has thrown up, but now and then, an especially bad night terror catches him.

It’s months later, in the midst of their wedding planning when Damen’s awoken in the night to Laurent desperately shaking him awake. 

“Damen.” Laurent whispers as Damen blinks his eyes open and takes in the sight of Laurent’s face, his skin pale and his eyes clearly frightened. Alone at night and half asleep, Laurent isn’t able to filter his emotions as usual. Damen can see he looks terrified.

“Laurent.” Damen replies, sitting himself up and pulling his husband-to-be into his arms. “Hey, hey you’re okay.”

“I-I know I am, I just…” Laurent takes in a shaky breath and buries his face in Damen’s neck, emitting a barely audible whine as he clings to him. Laurent doesn’t cry, but Damen feels that this is his version of it. He’s shaking like a leaf in his arms. 

“It’s okay. Just let it pass.” Damen soothes, rubbing his back like always, kissing his head. “Do you think you might be sick?”

Laurent thinks for a moment and shakes his head. 

Damen gives him a squeeze, worried about how hard he’s shaking. Maybe a change of scenery would help him get the images out of his mind. “Stand up with me.”

“Why?”

“Just trust me.” Damen says as he pulls away and stands by the bedside, offering Laurent his hand.

Laurent takes it and allows Damen to pull him out of bed, slowly walking back out towards the balcony.

“Come here.” Damen whispers as he takes Laurent to the edge and wraps an arm around him, looking out at the ocean. 

“I can’t believe how casually you can walk outside naked.” Laurent offers a weak smile as he leans into Damen’s embrace.

“I’ve got nothing to hide.”

“Just the birthmark on your ass.”

“Hey.” Damen pouts, but presses a kiss to Laurent’s temple, happy to hear him joking. 

They stand there for a moment, Laurent breathing deeply, both of them staring out at the ocean. 

Laurent is the first to break the quiet, resting his head on Damen’s shoulder as he looks out at the water. “You still haven’t told anyone about my… night problems, have you?”

“No.” Damen shakes his head. “I’m never going to share the stuff that you let me see. That’s why our private life is private.”

“It scares me sometimes…”

“The nightmares?”

“How much I need you.” Laurent admits, eyes cast down. “I know I can always take care of myself on my own when I have to, but when I wake up after one of these, I just… I just reach for you and you’re there. I haven’t depended on anyone like this before.”

“It’s okay to accept some support, Laurent. I’m about to be your husband, I’ll always be here.” Damen murmurs, pressing his lips into his lover’s golden hair once again. “When I feel sick to my stomach about Kastor, you’re there for me. You come rushing out faster than the servants when I get hurt training.” He breathes out a low laugh. “You saved my life in Ios and practically nursed me back to health when I was bedridden after.”

“Well you almost bled to death, I’m just having bad dreams.”

“The point is that you comfort me all the time whether you think about it or not.” Damen says with a squeeze. “Don’t feel guilty about letting me do the same for you.”

“I suppose.” Laurent sighs, shutting his eyes and letting his head rest on Damen’s shoulder. “I love you.”

Damen’s heart gives a hard thump. Those are big words between them… They’ve only said it a few times before - after Damen woke up from Kastor’s attack, a few times when they made for the first time as kings of a joint nation, which cemented their future together. They said it when they got engaged a short while ago. And here Laurent is saying it now. No perilous crisis, no momentous occasion, just this soft admission that makes Damen kiss his forehead and hold him closer. 

“I love you too, Laurent.” He takes one more look at the view before gently nudging Laurent’s head up and reaching down to take his hand. “Let's get back to bed.”

*****

“Am I insane or is he… slightly  _ nicer _ than usual?” Nikandros asked Damen, watching across the courtyard where Laurent was chatting with the servants, smiling even as he spoke, laughing at the occasional joke and telling him himself.

“We’ve been good lately.” Damen shrugs, smiling a little at the sight of the happy Laurent he knows behind closed doors showing his face in the daylight. His smile is even brighter than his hair — it’s not a sight others usually get to behold. 

It had been a few weeks since their conversation on the balcony. He’s not sure what part of it got through to Laurent, but he’s been a lot less cold lately around the palace. He’s still a born leader, able to turn on a dime into the terrifying commander his guards fear if need be, but it’s nice to seen him looking almost relaxed.

“Your honeymoon phase is going on a year now.”

“Well… I mean, look at him.” Damen lets his eyes wander over Laurent in a chiton, the light catching his hair, his long legs on display. What can he say? He’s only human. 

“You and blondes.” Nikandros mumbles. “Whatever you’re doing, keep it up. He’s almost likeable this way.”

“Wait until he shows you his magic tricks.”

“ _ Laurent  _ knows magic tricks?” Nikandros raises an eyebrow and looks from Damen to Laurent, then back to Damen, and Laurent again as if trying to picture how the blonde king in the courtyard would look showing off goofy sleight of hand gimmicks.

“He mostly just does them for kids, but if you get a cup or two of griva in him…”

“I just might take you up on that challenge.”

“Worth a shot.” Damen chuckles. “Stop ogling my fiancée and go drill those new recruits of yours. If you run them into the ground enough now, it’ll all be easier for you later.”

“I suppose.” Jord sighs. “I’ll see to it now. Enjoy your view.”

“I will.” Damen smiles as he walks away to cross the courtyard. He picks a lily from its stem by the fountain as he walks up to Laurent, appearing by his side to tuck the flower into his hair.

“I don’t know if this quite screams authority.” Laurent says, but he’s teasing, stepping closer to Damen to lean on his touch a little as he gestures to the group of servants in front of him. “I was just gathering some thrilling tales of young Damen in Aikelos.”

Damen raised an eyebrow at the servants, many of whom were blushing. “Do I want to know?”

“You really did not spend a lot of time with your clothes on, did you?” 

“Only for  _ sport _ .” Damen groans. “It was just wrestling.”

“Oiled up on the steps of the capital I hear.”

“One time.” He pouts, giving Laurent a nudge in the side. “Don’t think I won’t find Ancel for tales of young Laurent. He may not have been there, but he has all the gossip in the kingdom.”

“Yes, do delight yourself with the thrilling tales of me and my books.” Laurent shrugs before turning back to the servants. “Find me later, I have far more questions.”

“Will do.” One of the servants giggles, a young brunette woman who gestures to the others and leads them away from the kings.

“I’m not going to have much of a reputation left around here, am I?” Damen says as he wraps his arms around Laurent’s waist and kisses the side of his neck. He’s usually fairly shy about PDA, but a sun warmed Laurent with a flower in his hair is too much to resist. 

“It seems you’re actually quite respected for your naked escapades.” Laurent says, letting his head loll a little to the side, silently asking for another kiss.

Damen obliges, kissing Laurent’s neck again, chaste and quick, but he still feels how much Laurent likes it. “Nikandros wants a drink with you tonight. Maybe you can take the opportunity to talk about the new recruits? They haven’t seen you sword fight yet, so you can put the fear of God into them whenever you’re ready.”

“Hm, I have been meaning to meet with him.” Laurent bites his lip. “Alright, but if I stagger into the bedroom drunk as a Veretian lord, it’ll be your responsibility to keep me out of trouble.”

“Deal.” Damen gives Laurent’s hips a squeeze before reluctantly pulling away. “I’m going to speak with Charls about the budget for the new palace. I’ll see you in bed tonight.”

“If I manage to walk there on my own.”

“Do  _ not _ let Nikandros rope you into a drinking contest.”

*****

It seems that as soon as Damen steps away from Laurent, his day turns around. His meeting with Charls drags on and on, a hostage to the merchant’s lengthy lectures of the quality, origin, and cost of each fabric. It nearly puts him to sleep, but when the meeting ends, a servant comes running to tell him he’s needed on the training grounds.

Damen arrives to find their new men in disarray, an agitated Jord, and a very much pouting Pallas as the young men wrestle and fight with one another. He knows it’s not an easy task to build a fully formed military of the new United Kingdom, but he expected at least  _ some _ cooperation at first.

“What the hell happened here?”

“They’re  _ animals _ .” Pallas glares. “Two of them started arguing about who was stronger, which lead to a moronic duel with wooden swords, everyone took sides, placed bets apparently, and voila.”

“It’s… off to a rough start.” Jord sighs. “Would you mind staying a while? I don’t think they quite understand the respect their position  _ should _ be holding.”

“They’re getting drilled until sundown.” Damen grimaces, rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck to loosen up as he heads on to the training grounds. 

This is turning into a very very long day.

*****

Damen ends his day with sore muscles and a solid bruise or two from challenging the young men on the training grounds. He’d pushed them well passed sundown, but him and Jord have been in this position before. They’ll drill and train until the men begin to trust not just each other, but their own capabilities.

Still, he hasn’t had much physical activity since the long recovery from the stabbing wound, so when he’s finally bathed, he goes to bed exhausted. The bed is empty of Laurent, but Damen trusts he’ll make his way to him once Nikandros has seen enough drunken magic tricks.

He falls into a restless sleep, tossing and turning, in and out of dreaming until he hears Laurent stumble in eventually. He wakes up just enough to watch Laurent strip out of his clothes and crawl into bed, holding his arms out in his usual invitation.

“I didn’t mean to wake you.” Laurent smiles as he snuggles in, his face flushed pink and his body pleasantly warm from the liquor. He’s decidedly drunk, but not enough that Damen has to keep him from falling out of bed.

“Mm, is fine.” Damen mumbles, holding him like a child holds a doll as he drifts back to sleep once more.

He stays down for a while this time. The dream starts out nice - he’s in battle, but he’s valiant and strong with his sword as he is in real life. The images fade in and out of war, but nothing too dark nor upsetting until Laurent falls into the picture.

He sees Laurent on horseback, dressed in the dark blue of his guard and faction, a starburst flag trailing behind him. There’s an archer in the distance, one Damen can see is aiming right for him, but there’s too much space between them, too many men.

He calls out a warning that goes unheard, rushing towards Laurent and only stumbling into more fighting along the way. He can’t  _ get there in time _ . He won’t make it, he’s about to lose-

Damen is shaken awake abruptly with a startled gasp, reacting before he fully realizes he’s awake. He first realizes that Laurent has woken him up, but it had been so sudden and startling in the midst of his dream, that he speaks before he thinks. 

“It’s the middle of the fucking night, what could you  _ possibly  _ need?! You just scared the shit out of me.” He snaps, still under the heavy weight of sleep until he sees Laurent’s expression at his words.

In the moment of agitation, Damen had completely forgotten the only reason Laurent would wake him up in the middle of the night. 

If Laurent can be heartbroken, he looks like that now. He’s trembling, his hair slightly darkened with sweat, his eyes wide and fearful, and a slight blush still on his cheeks, showing he’s not entirely sober yet. The hand that wasn’t being used to shake Damen awake is fisted in the bed sheets tight enough for his knuckles to turn white. He… he almost looks like he could cry.

“Laurent.” Damen breathes, awareness smacking him in the face as he looks at how scared his typically fearless fiancée is. Not only did he clearly have a nightmare, but it had to be an awful one. “Laurent, Love, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-“

“Don’t.” Laurent says in an attempt at his cool and controlled tone, but the slight wobble of his voice gives his emotions away as he slides out of bed.

“Laurent?”

He says nothing, just fumbles his way back into the chiton he’d left on the floor.

“Where are you going?” Damen’s chest sinks. “Laurent, I was asleep, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-“

“I said  _ don’t _ .” Laurent glares at him in the dark, still shaking like a leaf. The words are an attempt at anger, but with the lingering alcohol limiting his usual masking abilities, it just sounds like hurt. It sounds like he’s holding back tears.

“Let me take care of you, please don’t just go. You know I didn’t mean that.” 

Laurent turns before Damen can call after him and exits the bedroom, shutting the door hard behind him.

Damen’s stomach turns as he climbs out of bed and hurries to the door to listen. He knows better than to chase Laurent through the hallways, but he listens and hears Laurent mutter a few inaudible words to the guards before his footsteps move further away. 

What has he done? Could all the trust and vulnerability he’d built with Laurent over his nightmares disappear just like that? 

He swallows hard as he looks at the closed door. Laurent shouldn’t have to be alone right now, he needs someone to comfort him during these. His fiancée was someone who fought with a secretly dislocated shoulder just to avoid seeming weak. He’d been able to look at his uncle without flinching at the sight of Nicaise’s head, someone he’d cared for. Seeing him hurting like this… Laurent has served more than his fair share of time coping with pain alone.

Damen pulls a pair of linen pajama pants from the wardrobe and heads out of the chambers to meet the guards. “Do you know where he went?”

The guards exchange nervous glances.

“He told you not to tell me.”

“Yes, Exalted.”

Damen sighs and scrubs a hand over his face. “When he told you not to tell me, did he call me Damen or Damianos?”

“Damianos.”

Fuck, he only does that to be professional or when he’s royally pissed at him. “Can you give me a direction? You know you are under my rule as much as his.”

One of the guards shifts his feet and cocks his head to the right. “He went in that direction, Exalted.”

“Thank you.” Damen says as he heads down the right hallway out of the Kings Chambers. Thinking about it, he almost feels silly. There’s only one place in this palace Laurent would go to to be alone in a time like this. 

It was one of their first requests in the palace. In the back gardens, far in where they can be alongside the view of the sea, they put in new statues to remember the loved ones lost. Damen had his mother and father and Laurent had Auguste.

Damen makes his way quietly out of the palace, waving to any guards he passes to leave him be and not to follow. 

Once out in the gardens, he follows the stone path, careful to tread lightly as he makes his way through the shrubs and flowers. When he sees the entrance to the statue garden he pauses, peering over to see Laurent where he expected him to be - sitting at the base of Auguste’s statue, knees to his chest, his forehead pressed against his fist.

“Laurent?” Damen asks in a soft voice as he steps into the garden.

Laurent stays quiet.

“Laurent, I promise, I never meant to speak to you like that, I was just half asleep.” He can see that Laurent is still quivering, only slightly. To anyone who didn’t know him as well as Damen, it would look like nothing more than the wind against him.

“I know.” Laurent says, his voice low and steady.

“But it still hurt you.” Damen says, coming to sit down on the stone next to him. His instincts tell him to put an arm around his shoulders, a hand on his knee, but he gives Laurent his space. 

Laurent is quiet again.

“Laurent, don’t shut me out, I-“

“You shut  _ me _ out.” Laurent scowls and the flush on his cheeks gives away that he’s embarrassed at the outburst. “I mean…“ He huffs and runs a frustrated hand through his hair. “You… I was trying…” he stops and leans his head back against the base of the statue to look up at the sky, squeezing his eyes shut in search of the words.

“Tell me.” Damen coaxes. “Say whatever it is you want to say.”

“I told you that if I gave you my heart… you would be gentle with it.” Laurent says with a hard swallow. “And you are… You always have been even with these childish nightmares or any time I’ve ever reached out to you.” His voice is more emotional than usual, loosened by wine and griva, but not so much that he isn’t aware of his words. “It scared me worse than anything when I woke you up and you…”

“And I yelled at you for it.” Damen sighs, his heart sinking. 

“We’ve fought so many times before… I’ve nearly killed you, you’ve nearly killed me, but now I can’t... I can’t even imagine you shouting at me.” Laurent huffs out a laugh. “It felt like you punched me in the stomach and you’ve  _ actually _ punched me in the stomach before.”

Damen smiles, shifting closer to him and putting a hand on Laurent’s thigh, squeezing. “Things are different now. I would be hurt too if you talked to me like you used to.”

“I just didn’t expect it. Every other time, you’ve just… you’ve taken care of me.” Laurent finally looks over at him. “It terrifies me, but I need you… I need you to be gentle with me.” He blushes further. “That’s why relying on you scares me so much.”

“Come here.” Damen says, reaching out and pulling Laurent into his arms like he always does at times like these. “I’m sorry I woke up like that. I didn’t mean to scare you, I was just confused where I was. I’m still here for you. I’ll always drop anything to be here with you when you need me.”

“I’m also…” Laurent hiccups. “Still a little drunk. You’re not allowed to make fun of me for being so horribly dramatic tomorrow.”

“You’re not dramatic, this is normal human emotion. You know, that thing you like to push all the way down here?” He gives Laurent’s stomach a light poke, relieved that it makes him smile. “Are you feeling okay?”

Laurent shrugs his shoulders. “I wish the memories would just go away… they were easier to avoid when we were at war.” 

“I wish I could take them away from you.” Damen admits, resting his head on Laurent’s. “We’ve been through enough.”

“One would think.” Laurent takes a shaky breath in and looks up at Damen. “Are you sure it’s not a burden being woken up in the middle of the night to deal with me?”

“It’s not dealing with you and it’s not a burden.” Damen nods. “I’m sure.”

Laurent nods back and looks away for a moment before turning back. “Kiss me.”

Damen doesn’t need to be told twice to take Laurent’s face in his hands and kiss him. As well as they can read each other, as deeply as they know each other, kissing is the true secret language between them. Damen feels every subtlety of Laurent’s movements as they kiss. He feels Laurent’s hand on his thigh, squeezing, the relieved way Laurent leans into the kiss and deepens it on his own. 

Damen guides Laurent into his lap, facing him, so they can kiss more comfortably as his hands roam up and down Laurent’s sides. He loves to feel the curves of his body, the slender and elegant frame filled out with lean muscle. Laurent whines into the kiss and Damen turns his head to kiss his neck, hot wet touches of his mouth that make Laurent’s breathing go shallow.

“You’re precious to me.” Damen whispers against his skin, hands still holding Laurent’s waist even though he’s longing to push them downward. “I’ll always be gentle with you. I promise.”

Laurent lets out a breath and tilts his head like he always does, so Damen will keep kissing his neck. Damen does, taking his time with each one, just how Laurent likes. “Damen.”

“Yes?”

“I… I-I need you to…” Laurent almost looks helpless as he presses their forehead together and does something he usually only  _ ever _ does on the brink of orgasm — he begs. “Please make love to me. I need to feel you right now. I-I need to remember sex is good.”

“Here?” Damen blushes. “We don’t have-“

“I  _ always _ have.” Laurent says, slipping his hand into a small pocket of the chiton to pull out a vial of oil and place it in Damen’s hand. “Please.”

“God, Laurent.” Damen sighs as he pulls Laurent into another kiss, letting his hands push under his chiton now to slide over the curves of his ass. “We’ll be seen if anyone looks out a window.”

“I don’t care.” Laurent says, the confident tone of his voice starting to return as he squirms in Damen’s lap. “Please.”

With a swift rotation, Damen takes Laurent by the waist and lays him down on the soft grass between the stone path and the statue, kicking off the linen pants he’d thrown on as he lays over him. He lets Laurent do what he likes, remaining close and available as Laurent’s hands wander over his body, as Laurent leans up to kiss him with lips so soft Damen would believe they were clouds. Damen feels Laurent’s cock, hard and eager between them, so he slides a hand down to give it attention.

“Damen.” Laurent whines, always susceptible to the smallest of motions. 

Damen takes the vial and makes good time preparing Laurent, making sure he’s been adequately warmed up as well as teased a little before slicking himself up to make love to him.

“I’m here.” Damen breathes against Laurent’s lips as he pushes inside. “I’m right here.”

Laurent hooks his legs up over his hips and shuts his eyes, his mouth falling open in a silent moan as Damen pushes in until he bottoms out. “Stay for a moment.” Laurent pants, his arms wrapped around Damen’s shoulders.”

“Do you feel me?”

“I’d have to be the size of the palace not to feel something like this inside me.”

Damen laughs and leans down to nuzzle their noses together, something that always makes Laurent laugh or bat him away. This time, it earns him a smile and an eager roll of Laurent’s hips against him, urging him to begin. “Patience.” He teases, turning his head to nibble on Laurent’s ear. He’s well aware that he should make this quick. Anyone out at night who chooses to come to their balcony can easily see them like this, but having Laurent who relishes in luxury, laid out on the grass with his legs open, giving him the trust Damen feared he’d lost -- he can’t possibly waste a second of it. 

Laurent lets out a breathy sigh when Damen starts to fuck him, slow and steady, but deep, keeping Laurent full and satisfied as he kisses his neck and shoulders, any spot of pale skin that will make Laurent preen. His chiton is bunched up at his waist, the clasp undone and the skirt pushed up. He should look debauched, but instead he just looks beautiful. His hair glows differently under the moon than in the sun. Damen runs his fingers through it with one hand as he begins to fuck Laurent in earnest. 

Usually quiet, but still a little drunk, Laurent is a bit more free with his noises than usual. He gasps when his back arches off the gasp, whines when Damen is fucking him at an especially pleasurable angle, and best of all, he whimpers Damen’s name -- soft and vulnerable, helpless when Damen touches him.

“Harder.” Laurent whispers, his nails digging little crescent moons into the skin of Damen’s shoulders when he obliges and Laurent moans loud enough that some of the lower balconies may hear him. Damen’s past caring. 

Damen thrusts into him and slides a free hand between them, palming over and playing with Laurent’s cock, but refusing to stroke him just yet. 

“ _ Damen _ .” Laurent squirms. 

“Yes?”

“Please.” Laurent begs again, bucking his hips against him as if it’ll make his cock slide into Damen’s fist. 

“Please what?” Damen smiles, slowing his hips to a deep roll that makes Laurent’s eyes roll back for a moment. 

“Please touch me.” He breathes as his thighs tremble against Damen’s sides. He’s close. “Please. You can come in me, just touch me.”

The permission makes Damen’s heart thump, picturing the shameful walk back from the garden as Laurent tries to make his way back their bedroom without revealing the drip of Damen’s release on his inner thighs. He fucks him properly again, eager to make Laurent come after a night where he’d made him feel so terrible. Now, he’s going to make Laurent feel good. He’ll make him feel loved. 

Damen finally wraps a hand around Laurent’s erection and fucks him faster, locking his lips onto the most sensitive part of Laurent’s neck and sucking on the skin as he listens to Laurent’s breathing become quicker and quicker. 

“Damen.” It comes out as a squeak as Laurent reaches the brink and he clings to him as tight as he can when release arrives. He comes with a sob of pleasure, making a mess between them as Damen touches and fucks him through it. Damen’s own orgasm is quick to follow, but he makes sure to keep his pace steady until Laurent is completely done.

“How do you feel now?” Damen lets out a breathy laugh as he presses a chaste kiss to Laurent’s cheek. 

“Better.” He hums, arms and leg still wrapped around Damen to keep him in place. “I like fucking outside.”

“Do you now?” Damen smiles. “I don’t know how much you’re going to like walking back like this.”

“True.” Laurent frowns, finally letting go so Damen can pull out and rise.

Damen offers Laurent a hand and pulls him up too, refastening the clasp of his chiton at his shoulder and giving him another sweet kiss on the lips. “Just walk close behind me.”

Laurent nods and glances over at the statue of his brother with a wince. “Sorry, Auguste.”

“He would be happy that you’re happy.” Damen assures, reaching down to thread his fingers through Laurent’s before leading him away from the statue garden.

“The things I let you do to me.” Laurent sighs, refastening his chiton over his shoulder with his free hand. It doesn’t help much. It’s grass stained, his hair in disarray, love marks on his neck and shoulders. Secretly, Damen loves when Laurent lets him leave those bruises, a sign to everyone who sees them that Laurent belongs to him and only him.

Damen leads him back into the palace, trying not to blush at Laurent’s tight steps, having to walk with his thighs as close to shut as possible. The guards flush a little but one stern look has their eyes front and center as they make their way towards their chambers.

Back in the privacy of their bedroom, Laurent sheds the chiton and retreats to the bathroom to collect himself. 

Damen pours a glass of water from the pitcher by the bed and places it on the nightstand for Laurent in the morning. God help anyone who runs into him come dawn. 

Laurent returns, still naked, but clean and smelling of rose water as he slides back into bed. “You coming?”

“Yeah, I was just…” Damen smiles and looks him over, Laurent’s form still easily observable through the thin sheet. “You don’t usually sleep naked.”

“Too tired.” Laurent mumbles, patting the empty space next to him. “Come ‘ere, it’s cold.”

Slightly drunk Laurent is too endearing to resist. Damen slides in beside him and lets Laurent arrange himself as he pleases.

“Hi there.” Damen laughs as Laurent settles into his chest, one arm thrown over his stomach and one leg thrown over him as well.

“Shhh, sleep time.” Laurent whispers, turning his head ever so slightly to kiss the skin on Damen’s chest, just above his heart. 

His heart warms at the gesture as he wraps his arms happily around Laurent, already halfway back to sleep again. He looks beautiful, peaceful and satiated after a long night. “I love you.” Damen murmurs into Laurent’s hair, half expecting him to be asleep, but Laurent stirs at the words, nuzzling his cheek against Damen’s chest before mumbling his easy response.

“I love you too, Damen.”

**Author's Note:**

> Be sure to find me on Twitter @nuttinonice !
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed this, the biggest support I can receive is comments, kudos, and sharing this fic. Thank you for reading and continuing to enjoy captive prince!


End file.
